1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automobile headlamp in which an extension reflector having a mirror surface is provided in a lamp body to hide components disposed around a headlamp body.
2. Related Art
FIG. 8 shows a first example of a conventional headlamp of this type. A projection type headlamp body 2 made up of a reflector, a light source, and a projection lens is fixedly secured to the front of a lamp body 1 with screws. An extension reflector 4 having a mirror surface is specular in color is provided to surround the headlamp body 2, to hide the inside of the lamp body 1 and to show the whole interior of the lamp body 1 like a mirror. As shown in FIG. 8, a leg 4a extending from the extension reflector 4 engages with an engaging groove 1a formed in the lamp body 1, and an edge portion of the extension reflector 4 which is opposite to the edge portion from which a leg 4a extends is secured to the lamp body 1 with screws 5, so that the extension reflector 4 is fixedly secured to the lamp body 1. Further, a round hole 4b is formed in the extension reflector 4. When the extension reflector 4 is secured to the lamp body 1 in the above-described manner, the front end portion of the headlamp body 1 comes in the round hole 4b of the extension reflector 4.
A second example of the conventional headlamp as disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 6-13008 includes, as shown in FIG. 9, thick portions 6a formed on an inner surface of a side wall of a front lens 9 and an extension reflector 7 fixedly secured to the thick portions 6a of the front lens 9 with screws 8.
In the first example of the conventional headlamp, the extension reflector 4 is secured to the rear wall of the lamp body 1 although it is greatly spaced therefrom. Hence, it is necessary to provide the long leg 4a extending from the extension reflector, and to form extension reflector supports 6 on the lamp body 1. That is, the conventional headlamp is disadvantageous in that it is rather intricate in structure, and the long leg 4a may be vibrated to generate chattering noises.
In general, the headlamp is so designed that the headlamp body 2 is tilted with respect to the lamp body 1 by means of an aiming mechanism. Hence, the extension reflector 4 has to be designed upon consideration of the tilting angle of the headlamp body 2, that is, it may not interfere with the headlamp body 2. Thus, the conventional headlamp suffers from difficulties that the extension reflector is limited in design of configuration, and the lamp body is unavoidably bulky.
The second example of the headlamp is free from the difficulties accompanying the first example. However, it still suffers from another problem that the thick portions 6a of the front lens 9 in which the connecting screws are screwed are visible through the front lens 9; that is, the headlamp is poor in external appearance.